Most people are familiar with mushrooms, the fruiting body of fungi. However, underfoot and out of sight, fungi enrich and support the life of every ecosystem. Forming a vast network one cell thick,fungal nets stabilize the soil, decompose and recycle plant matter and have developed a sophisticated set of survival tools. In addition, fungi breakdown and make available chemicals like phosphorous and nitrogen that help plants flourish.Many fungi have developed mutually beneficial relationships with plants. My project focuses on research conducted at the Indiana Dunes by the Field Museum and the restored tall grass prairie at Fermi National Accelerator. I drew aesthetic inspiration from the beautiful symmetry of Islamic Geometry and the ceiling of the Museum of Natural History in London.

Detail of rug expressing the relationship between mycorrhizal fungi and Oak trees

I would like to express my thanks to the following scientists. Their generous contributions inspire and inform my work.